Browse / United States / Kentucky / Cumberland
Cumberland
Kentuckycity
Cumberland
Total population
2,037
Median home value
$66,500
Bachelor's+
Median income
$35,410
Founded
1826
Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Cumberland is a home rule-class city in Harlan County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, Cumberland had a population of 1,947. The city sits at the confluence of Looney Creek and the Poor Fork Cumberland River.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
Cumberland was settled in 1837 and named "Poor Fork", for its location on a fork of the Cumberland River with relatively poor soil. It remained isolated until the coal mining boom of the 1900s when railroads connected it with surrounding towns. It was renamed "Cumberland" in 1926. On July 29, 2019, a group of coal miners blocked a coal train on a track in protest when the company they worked for, Blackjewel LLC, refused to pay them after declaring bankruptcy. Blackjewel was founded in 2017, and it was one of the largest coal mining companies in the country. Its bankruptcy filing also affected employees in Virginia and Wyoming; in total about 1700 miners have been affected. The miners called off the protest in late September 2019, mostly because they have found other jobs. They intend to continue their fight in court.
Geography
Cumberland is located in northeastern Harlan County at (36.977016, -82.987434) in the valley of the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River, where it is joined by Looney Creek from the southeast and Cloverlick Creek from the south. The city limits extend to the north up to the crest of Pine Mountain, which forms the Letcher County line. Elevations within the city range from above sea level along the Poor Fork on the west side of town to atop Pine Mountain. U.S. Route 119 passes through Cumberland, passing south of the city center. US 119 leads northeast to Jenkins and southwest to Harlan, the Harlan County seat. Kentucky Route 160 passes through the center of Cumberland, leading southeast to Benham and to the Virginia border, and north over Pine Mountain to Gordon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Cumberland has a total area of , of which , or 0.95%, are water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Cumberland has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Demographics & economy
Race & ethnicity
Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Current forecast
Forecast for Cumberland, KY from NOAA NWS API.
Air quality
Industrial & pollution facilities
Natural hazard risk
Health (adults)
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Schools
Largest nearby schools
- Cumberland Elementary SchoolElementary · Cumberland · 449 students · 14:1 ratio
Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).
Earthquake history
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here




People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Cumberland





Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Nearest stream gauge
Events
Gallery
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
- • NOAA National Weather Service
- • Wikidata
- • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library